The ties between the United States and India – two countries bound by shared values, pluralistic democratic institutions, and strategic partnership – have grown demonstrably over the past ten years. In fact, they’ve never been stronger. That closeness was on display last week, when, on the eve of the U.S.-India Strategic Dialogue in New Delhi on June 23, Secretary John Kerry hailed the potential embodied by our over 1.5 billion citizens, proclaiming that “the world’s largest democracy and the world’s oldest democracy must do more together, uniting… as partners building a strong, smart future in a critical age.”

As Secretary Kerry embarked on his first official trip to the subcontinent since taking the helm in Foggy Bottom, many in Washington and New Delhi were hopeful that along with his counterpart, Indian External Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid, the Secretary would paint an ambitious vision and challenge each country’s bureaucracy to think big, and propel the relationship to the next level.

They did just that. I was privileged to be a part of Secretary Kerry’s delegation that also included our new Secretary of Energy Ernest Moniz, the Acting Deputy Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security, as well as the Administrators of USAID and NASA, and senior officials from a broad range of U.S. agencies, who were each able to offer insights into their respective technical areas of bilateral cooperation. From space exploration to expanding access to education, the U.S. and Indian participants in the dialogue discussed practical ways for us to work together to tackle the most pressing global challenges of the 21st century.

On climate change and clean energy we made significant progress. We announced a loan guarantee program to support a private equity firm in Mumbai that will help mobilize at least $100 million in private sector financing that could generate hundreds of additional megawatts of clean energy capacity in India, as well as new collaboration that aims to help India’s growing air conditioner market transform to super-efficient space cooling technologies. This builds on the enormous clean energy cooperation championed by President Obama that has mobilized $2 billion to finance clean energy initiatives in India. Secretary Kerry and Minister Khurshid pledged to establish a U.S.-India Climate Change Dialogue to chart ways to invigorate our partnership in this area so critical to the futue health of the planet.

Responding to doubts in some corners about implementation progress on the U.S.-India Civil Nuclear Agreement, the United States and India welcomed the intention of Westinghouse and the Nuclear Power Corporation of India to reach a pre-Early Works Agreement by September of this year. Both Secretary Kerry and Minister Khurshid reaffirmed our commitment to full and timely implementation of the landmark 2008 civil nuclear deal.

Both leaders agreed we need to do more to build on the already booming trade between our peoples. As Secretary Kerry pointed out, two-way trade in goods and services between the United States and India approached $100 billion in 2012. We are working with businesses from both countries to keep that growth going. The Secretary announced he will host the high-level U.S.-India CEO Forum on July 12 here at the State Department, which will provide a distinctive opportunity to discuss the opportunities and impediments related to our commercial ties.

The U.S.-India Higher Education Dialogue, another facet of the Strategic Dialogue, continues to forge deep ties between educational institutions in our two nations by creating scholarships, fostering the growth of community colleges, and helping Indian and American students connect with one another, both online and through travel programs. We also announced a number of awards that will enable American and Indian higher education institutions to partner together to build linkages and develop solutions to global challenges.

Remarking on what is next for the United States and India, the Secretary said it best: “[W]e have to look forward, and we have to move forward, along with the currents that will take us into [the] future. And we have to do this not as passive passengers, but as drivers.”

Comments

Comments

Ashim C.

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India

July 2, 2013

Bilateral trade of 100 billion is not good enough. In India US is also seen as a technology leader of the world in both civilian and defense industries. US only has to adjust price and terms of technology trade. The adjustment can be in the form of facility for deferred payment to India. This would mean India would start making payment after gestation period of capital intensive energy industry with American rate of interest plus 1% on US investment for the gestation period. Such US investment should aim to enable India to move away from ecologically damaging fossil fuel as quickly and as much as possible so that foreign exchange out go on account of oil import is reduced as much as possible and India can divert the saving to buy more and more such goods and services as create jobs and wealth in USA. Given the fact India's import bill is more than US $ 160 billion and also imports 40 billion worth gold, which can be diverted to import of US technology, the buying potential of India is potentially easily 200 billion. In a situation of perfect balance of US India trade total potential of trade is US $ 400 billion. This is easier said than done. First step must be to assess total investment need of India in energy sector. One is reasonably certain that that investment can be arranged post US withdrawal from Afghanistan, where US is said to have invested US $ 6 trillion. Point is if India's trade imbalance problem is addressed Indo US relation can achieve unprecedented depth and breadth. One does not know what possibly can be difficulties to this from US point of view, but certain cold war perception about nature of international business engagements,which persist in India and gains strength because of one internal political factor - intensely competitive multi party system, which has given coalition politics whose limitations thwart India to move fast. India has to resolve this problem in a democratic way. US and India have to have their vision in right place.

Dare K.

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Florida, USA

July 2, 2013

The US secretary of state is doing some incredible work an act that can be described as a real corporate governance concept from the corporate point of view; now to the basics of my comment.

India is fast catching up and the United states need to stop wasting resources in the name of trying to help india and some countries.

India, and some of this countries are fast growing, culminating in reduced dependence on the United state.